Day: April 16, 2008

Forbes blows the whistle on State Farm

The sequel to the Siege of State Farm is out – State Farm turns the tables on Hurricane Katrina Lawyers. Since Roger Parloff acknowleges his strategy one can assume the same applies when State Farm “turns the tables”.

Last week I published a feature story online, “The Siege of State Farm” attempting to encapsulate the extraordinary, multifaceted assault upon State Farm and the insurance industry that was mounted by plaintiffs lawyer Richard F. “Dickie” Scruggs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The “extraordinary, multifaceted, assault” of State Farm on the Hurricane Katrina lawyers, according to Parloff’s article, was launched in Judge Senter’s courtroom. Continue reading “Forbes blows the whistle on State Farm”

Round 1 goes to Jones – Judge’s ruling sets up Round 2 (updated)

The Daily Journal reports Judge Coleman applied sanctions to SKG – striking their Motion for Arbitration and Answer to the Complaint filed by Jones. Only two of the four other firms – Scruggs and Barrett – were named in the Complaint; however, an earlier ruling from Judge Coleman held all member firms accountable including Nutt -McAllister and Lovelace.

Now for the big news in Coleman’s ruling today –

Coleman said Wednesday that while he agrees to a default judgment in the matter, which means he agrees with the Jones allegations, he does not accept every point in the legal complaint as true. Continue reading “Round 1 goes to Jones – Judge’s ruling sets up Round 2 (updated)”

Allstate Wins Another Florida Stay but the Allstate Challenge PR Disaster Continues

I was catching up on insurance news now that the tax season rush has largely ended (it never completely ends) and noted this story in the Miami Herald by Beatrice Garcia that Allstate has received a stay while the Florida First District Court of Appeals considers their motion for a rehearing:

Allstate Floridian has asked the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee for a rehearing on its recent decision upholding a suspension of Allstate’s license to write new business in Florida.

Until the court completes the rehearing, Allstate can continue to write new policies. While Allstate and its sister companies have not been renewing homeowners policies in the past three years, auto insurance is a lucrative business for them.

”The good news is that we’re still open for business,” said Amy Moore, an Allstate spokeswoman.

The appeal court had issued a ruling April 4 to reinstate the suspension of Allstate’s license on April 14. Continue reading “Allstate Wins Another Florida Stay but the Allstate Challenge PR Disaster Continues”

Around the GO Zone in 60 Seconds Part II

I’m inserting this post under the Allstate Challenge because such a short effort should certainly not be the top item but I saw couple of stories in today’s Sun Herald that are well worth mentioning.

First stop is Jackson and news that $41MM plus dollars of Katrina recovery money is being spent well off the coast. Those who keep up with this sort of news well remember Governor Barbour’s ill conceived plan to use $25MM of Katrina funds to build a road for Toyota in Morth Mississippi. That scheme could not make it past the legislature though they have no say in this use of Katrina recovery funding. Here are some excerpts from today’s Sun Herald front page story:

Gov. Haley Barbour announced Tuesday the release of $41 million in Hurricane Katrina relief funds for projects in 39 counties and cities, but none were in South Mississippi. 

Since the storm, South Mississippi legislators and some community groups have criticized Barbour for federal Katrina relief spending, over which he has held much control. Continue reading “Around the GO Zone in 60 Seconds Part II”